The Wyoming Cowboy

She shook her head. “I’m afraid we’re a pair of the greenest greenhorns you ever met. When I saw your dude ranch logo on the envelope, I never dreamed Johnny and I would end up spending time on one.”

His chuckle slid in under the radar to resonate through her. “With a couple of lessons that problem will be rectified and you can explore to your heart’s content. There’s no place like it on Earth. My grandfather used to tell me that, but it wasn’t until I came home for his funeral last November that I realized what he meant.” She heard the tremor in his voice.

He’d had a recent loss, too. Tracy sensed he was still suffering.

Carson broke their gaze and looked back at Johnny. “We have four ponies. I think I know the one that will be yours while you’re here.”

“Yippee!” Until this moment Tracy hadn’t thought her son’s face would ever light up like that again.

“You can name her,” he added.

Johnny looked perplexed. “I don’t know any girl names for a horse.”

“You think about it tonight, and tell me tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Carson smiled at both of them before closing the door. She heard him cough again before he walked around the car and got in behind the wheel. Something he’d picked up after being deployed, he’d said.

“What makes you cough so much?”

He looked over at Johnny. “There were a lot of contaminants in the air in Afghanistan. Stuff like smoke and toxins. Some of the soldiers breathed too many bad fumes and our lungs were injured. When I got sick, I was sent to a hospital in Maryland for special treatment. That’s where I met Ross and Buck. We became such good friends, we decided to go into business together after we got home.”

“Oh. Does it hurt?” Johnny almost whispered the last word.

“It did in the beginning, but not so much now. We’re a lot better than we used to be.”

“I’m glad.”

Her sweet boy.

“Me too, son.”

War was a ghastly reality of life. Carson and his friends were some of the fortunate ones who came home alive. She admired them for getting on with living despite their problem, for unselfishly wanting to make a difference in her life and Johnny’s. What generous, remarkable men....

As he drove them toward the town, she stared out the window. With night coming on, the Tetons formed a giant silhouette against the growing darkness. She shivered in reaction.

Instead of Johnny, who carried on an animated conversation with their host about horses and breeds, she was the one who felt oddly troubled for being so far away from home and everything familiar to her. This new world had taken her by surprise in ways she couldn’t understand or explain.

Chapter Two

Carson pulled the van in front of the newly erected cabin designated for the Baretta family. He’d asked one of the girls from town who did housekeeping to keep the lights on after she left. Earlier he’d made certain there were snacks for the Barettas, and in the minifridge he’d stored plenty of juices and sodas.

It had grown quiet during the drive from Jackson to the ranch. When he looked in the rearview mirror, he saw Johnny was fast asleep. The cute little guy had finally conked out.

Carson got out and opened the rear door of the van. His gaze met Tracy’s. He handed her the key. “If you’ll open the door, I’ll carry him inside.”

She gathered the sacks with their purchases and hurried ahead of him. The front room consisted of a living room with a couch and chairs and a fireplace. On one wall was an entertainment center with a TV, DVD player and a supply of family movies for the guests. Against the other wall was a rectangular table and chairs. A coffeemaker and a microwave sat on one end near the minifridge.

The back hallway divided into two bedrooms and a bathroom. He swept past her to one of the bedrooms and deposited Johnny on one of the twin beds. He didn’t weigh a lot. The boy was built like his father and had the brunette hair and brown eyes of his Italian ancestry.

He was Tony Baretta’s son, all right. You wouldn’t think he belonged to his blonde mother until you saw his facial features. Pure northern European, like hers. An appealing combination.

As for Tracy Baretta with her gray-green eyes, she was just plain appealing. Unexpectedly lovely. Womanly.

In the guys’ desire to make this week memorable for their family, he simply hadn’t counted on...her.

While she started taking off Johnny’s shoes, Carson went back outside to bring in the luggage. “If you need anything, just pick up the phone and one of the staff will answer, day or night. Tomorrow morning, walk over to the main ranch house. We serve breakfast there from six to nine in the big dining room. Lunch is from twelve to two and dinner from five to eight.

“I’ll watch for you and introduce you to the guys. They’re anxious to meet you. After that, we’ll plan your day. For your information, different sets of tourists are staying in the other cabins, but you’re the only family here at our invitation for this coming week. In another month we’re expecting our next family.”

She followed him to the front door of the cabin. “Thank you for everything, Carson.” Her voice cracked. “To be honest, I’m overwhelmed. You and your friends are so good to do what you’re doing. I could never repay you for this.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “From the time you met us at the airport, my son has been a different child. That picture meant everything to him.”

To her, too, he wagered.

“Losing your husband has been a traumatic experience for you. My friends and I know that. Even though anyone in the military, and their family, is aware that death can come, no one’s ready for it. When our division heard about Tony, we all suffered because he left a wife and child. We’re like brothers out there. When one gets hurt, we all hurt.”

She nodded. “Tony talked a lot about his buddies. He was so proud to serve with you.”

“That goes both ways. There’s no way we can bring him back to you, but we’d like to put a smile back on your son’s face, if only for a little while. I promise that while you’re here, we’ll treat him with sensitivity and try to keep him as happy and safe as is humanly possible.”

She smiled warmly. “I know you will.” He could feel her sincerity.

“We have other guests coming to the ranch all the time, but you and Johnny are our special visitors. No one knows that we’ve nicknamed this place the Daddy Dude Ranch. What we hope to do is try to lend ourselves out as dads to take some of the burden off you.”

Her hazel eyes glistened with tears. “You’ve already done that. Did you see Johnny in that shop earlier, walking around in those Western clothes with that huge smile on his face? He put that cowboy hat on just the way you wear yours and tried walking like you do in his new cowboy boots. I never saw anything so cute in my life.”

“You’re right about that.” Carson thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful as the woman standing in front of him.

“That mustang we bought was like giving him a bag of Oreos with just the centers.”

Carson chuckled. “He likes those?”

“He has a terrible sweet tooth.”

“Didn’t we all?”

“Probably. Let me say once again how honored I feel that you picked our family. It was a great thrill to receive your letter. Already I can tell Johnny is thriving on this kind of attention. What you’re doing is inspirational.”

From the light behind them, he could pick out gold and silver filaments in the hair she wore fastened at her nape. Opposites had attracted to produce Johnny. Carson was having trouble concentrating on their conversation.

“Thank you, Tracy. He’s a terrific boy.”

“For a man who’s never had children, you’re so good with him. Where did you learn those skills?”

“That’s because my grandfather was the best and put up with me and my friends. If it rubbed off on me, then I’m glad.”

“So am I. Johnny’s having a marvelous time.”